Electronic ink ball point pen with memory
An electronic pen for recording motion data relating to use of the pen. It includes a pen body and a ball mounted in the pen body. A sensor in the pen body, located proximate the ball, detects motion of the ball and converts the motion into corresponding electronic signals. A memory in the pen body, electronically coupled to the sensor, receives the electronic signals and stores corresponding data related to the motion. Use of a high-density memory, such as an atomic resolution storage memory, permits recording sufficient data for the motion within a memory module small enough to fit within the pen body.
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The present invention relates to an electronic pen for recording motion data.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONElectronic pens are known in the art and typically include a pen with a corresponding tablet or a pen with a tether cable connecting it to a computer or computing device. A user may put paper or another medium on the tablet and the motion of the pen as the user writes on the paper is detected by the tablet. The tablet electronically stores the motion data. These types of systems, however, require use of a specialized tablet for detecting motion of the pen or a tether connecting the pen to a computer or computing device. Also, the pens alone typically have limited memory capability and are thus dependent upon the specialized tablet or the tethered computer for the memory needed to capture motion data desired. Accordingly, a need exists for an improved electronic pen.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAn electronic pen consistent with the present invention records motion data relating to use of the pen. It includes a pen body and a ball mounted in the pen body. A sensor in the pen body, located proximate the ball, detects motion of the ball and converts the motion into corresponding electronic signals. A memory in the pen body, electronically coupled to the sensor, receives the electronic signals and stores corresponding data related to the motion.
A method consistent with the present invention records motion data relating to use and motion of an electronic pen. The method includes detecting motion of a ball in the pen using a sensor and converting the motion into corresponding electronic signals. The electronic signals are received and used to store in a memory corresponding data related to the motion of the pen.
The accompanying drawings are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification and, together with the description, explain the advantages and principles of the invention. In the drawings,
A port 26 permits data to be transferred from processor 22 to an external computer 14. Processor 22 may also include an associated switch 28 on the pen body for turning on processor 22 and the associated circuitry. A reset switch 30 on the pen body or incorporated into the ball point assembly and sensor can permit a user to effectively start recording data at a default location, as further explained below.
Memory 60 may include random access memory (RAM) or similar types of memory, and it may store one or more applications 62 for execution by processor 70. Applications 62 may correspond with software modules to perform processing for the functions described below. Secondary storage device 68 may include a hard disk drive, floppy disk drive, CD-ROM drive, or other types of non-volatile data storage. Processor 70 may execute applications or programs stored in memory 60 or secondary storage 68, or received from the Internet or other network 74. Input device 72 may include any device for entering information into computer 14, such as a keyboard, key pad, cursor-control device, touch-screen (possibly with a stylus), or microphone. Display device 66 may include any type of device for presenting visual information such as, for example, a computer monitor, flat-screen display, or display panel. Output device 64 may include any type of device for presenting a hard copy of information, such as a printer, and other types of output devices include speakers or any device for providing information in audio form. Computer 14 can possibly include multiple input devices, output devices, and display devices.
Although computer 14 is depicted with various components, one skilled in the art will appreciate that this computer can contain additional or different components. In addition, although aspects of an implementation consistent with the present invention are described as being stored in memory, one skilled in the art will appreciate that these aspects can also be stored on or read from other types of computer program products or computer-readable media, such as secondary storage devices, including hard disks, floppy disks, or CD-ROM; a carrier wave from the Internet or other network; or other forms of RAM or ROM. The computer-readable media may include instructions for controlling computer 14 to perform a particular method.
Computer 14 determines if it detects a reset indication in the file, which would have been generated through reset switch 30 (step 114). It detects a reset, computer 14 generates a new start position and returns to step 106. Otherwise, computer 14 determines if it detects an end of the file indicating the end of the motion data (step 116); if it is not at the end of the file, computer 14 returns to step 108 to retrieve and extrapolate additional data points.
While the present invention has been described in connection with an exemplary embodiment, it will be understood that many modifications will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and this application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations thereof. For example, different pen configurations and software processing may be used without departing from the scope of the invention. This invention should be limited only by the claims and equivalents thereof.
Claims
1. An electronic pen for recording motion data relating to use of the pen, comprising:
- a pen body;
- a ball mounted in the pen body;
- a sensor in the pen body, located proximate the ball, for detecting motion of the ball and converting the motion into corresponding electronic signals;
- a memory in the pen body, electronically coupled to the sensor, for receiving the electronic signals and storing corresponding data related to the motion, the data including data points related to positions of the ball and enabling extrapolation to generate lines representing the motion of the ball; and
- a circuit, electronically coupled to the sensor and the memory for sampling the sensor at a particular rate and controlling transmission of the corresponding electronic signal from the sensor to the memory, the circuit including a timer for determining the particular rate at which the sensor is sampled.
2. The electronic pen of claim 1, further including a removeable ink cartridge, disposed within the pen body, for applying ink to the ball.
3. The electronic pen of claim 1, further including a port, located on the pen body and electronically coupled to the memory, for use in transferring the data from the memory to an external device.
4. The electronic pen of claim 1, further including a module for receiving the data and for converting the data into a visual representation of the motion of the ball.
5. The electronic pen of claim 4, further including a module for storing the visual representation.
6. The electronic pen of claim 1 wherein the sensor includes dual sensors for detecting directions from which orthogonal ball motions can be reconstructed.
7. The electronic pen of claim 6 wherein the memory stores as the data coordinates representing the directions from which the orthogonal ball motions can be reconstructed.
8. The electronic pen of claim 1 wherein the memory stores an indication of a set of the motion data and a default location for a start of the corresponding motion.
9. The electronic pen of claim 1 wherein the memory comprises an atomic resolution storage memory.
10. A method for recording motion data relating to use of a pen having a pen body, a ball mounted in the pen body, a memory, and a sensor located proximate the ball, comprising:
- detecting motion of the ball using the sensor;
- sampling the sensor at a particular rate using a circuit electronically coupled to the sensor and to the memory, the circuit including a timer for determining the particular rate at which the sensor is sampled;
- converting the motion into corresponding electronic signals;
- receiving the electronic signals;
- controlling transmission of the electronic signals from the sensor to the memory using the circuit; and
- staring in the memory, based upon the electronic signals, corresponding data related to the motion, the data including data points related to positions of the ball and enabling extrapolation to generate lines representing the motion of the ball.
11. The method of claim 10, further including providing a removeable ink cartridge, disposed within the pen body, for applying ink to the ball.
12. The method of claim 10, further including electronically transferring the data from the memory to an external device.
13. The method of claim 10, further including: receiving the data; convening the data into a visual representation of the motion of the ball.
14. The method of claim 13, further including storing the visual representation.
15. The method of claim 10 wherein the detecting step includes using dual sensors for detecting directions from which orthogonal ball motions can be reconstructed.
16. The method of claim 15 wherein the storing step includes storing as the data coordinates representing the directions from which the orthogonal ball motions can be reconstructed.
17. The method of claim 10 wherein the storing step includes storing an indication of a set of the motion data and a default location for a start of the corresponding motion.
18. The method of claim 10 wherein storing step includes using an atomic resolution storage memory for storing the data.
19. The electronic pen of claim 1, wherein the circuit is capable of varying the rate at which the sensor is sampled based upon the motion of the ball.
20. The electronic pen of claim 1, farther comprising:
- a first switch for turning on and off the circuit;
- a second switch for enabling a user to store in the memory a reset indication to start storing data related to the motion of the ball from a default location stored in memory; and
- wherein: the sensor comprises an X-position sensor and a Y-position sensor located within the pen body proximate the ball, and the X-position sensor and a Y-position sensor remotely sense ball motion by movement of features on the ball; and the circuit further comprises a timer for determining the particular rate at which the sensor is sampled, and wherein the circuit is capable of varying the rate at which the sensor is sampled based upon the motion of the ball.
21. The method of claim 10, further including the step of changing the rate at which the sensor is sampled based upon the motion of the ball.
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Type: Grant
Filed: Dec 1, 2000
Date of Patent: Mar 20, 2007
Patent Publication Number: 20020067349
Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (Houston, TX)
Inventor: Charles C. Morehouse (Cupertino, CA)
Primary Examiner: Bipin Shalwala
Assistant Examiner: David L. Lewis
Application Number: 09/726,325
International Classification: G09G 5/08 (20060101);